For the first time in its history, the American Psychological Association (APA) issued guidelines to help clinicians improve the health of boys and men, declaring aspects of "traditional masculinity" "harmful." The report, backed by more than 40 years of research, triggered fierce backlash from conservative critics who say American men are under attack.

The APA defines traditional masculinity as “a particular constellation of standards that have held sway over large segments of the population, including: anti-femininity, achievement, eschewal of the appearance of weakness, and adventure, risk, and violence.” The guidelines, which were highlighted in the January issue of the APA's Monitor on Psychology magazine, say the pressure boys and men feel to conform to certain aspects of traditional masculinity can lead to poor health outcomes, including higher rates of suicide, substance abuse, violence and early death.

The picture of American masculinity: Strong and solitary.(Photo: stevecoleimages / Getty Images)

The report was criticized by conservative pundits and columnists who argue the APA is pathologizing masculinity. Fox News' Laura Ingraham said "traditional masculinity seems to be, in this report at least, conflated with being a pig or a creep or a Harvey Weinstein kind of person." The Federalist's Emily Jashinsky called the report "dangerous." The National Review referred to it as "a frontal attack." But the term "traditional masculinity" does not refer to all masculine traits, said APA chief of professional practice Jared Skillings, defending the new guidelines.

"We're talking about negative traits such as violence or over-competitiveness or being unwilling to admit weakness," Skillings said. "Of course masculinity also has positive
traits — courage, leadership, protectiveness — the report includes both sides."

Traits of so-called “traditional masculinity,” like suppressing emotions & masking distress, often start early in life & have been linked to less willingness by boys & men to seek help, more risk-taking & aggression -- possibly harming themselves & those with whom they interact.

What the APA report seeks to address is male suffering, of which experts say there is no shortage. Previous studies have shown that males are more likely to be engaged in violence and more likely to die from unintentional injuries.

"We often talk about gender in terms of women ... getting the short end of the stick. ... Well, masculinity isn't easy either," Jennifer Carlson, a sociology professor at the University of Arizona who studies gun politics and gender, told USA TODAY after the mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017. "That's not your ticket to the good life. It isn't easy to be a man in the United States. Demands put on men — whether it's to be the protector, to be the provider, to respond to situations in certain ways, to prove yourself as a man — end up being not just outwardly destructive but also inwardly destructive."

The APA guidelines stress that psychologists must confront their own biases about masculinity, and encourages them to:

Promote healthy intimate relationships among boys and men

Address issues of male privilege and power

Promote healthy father involvement

Strive to understand the factors that lead to male aggression and violence

The APA — which says it first began work on these guidelines in 2005 — has already produced guidelines for several other populations, including people who identify as LGBT, racial and ethnic minorities, older adults and girls and women.